Music Majors

As a student in the Dana School of Music (DSM), you’ll have extraordinary artistic and educational opportunities. You’ll study with world-class faculty, participate in diverse ensembles that program repertoire from nearly every genre of music, and study and perform in superb venues.

The Dana School of Music offers numerous undergraduate and graduate majors and programs in multiple areas of study. Our degrees integrate advanced musical training with professionally oriented experiences and provide opportunities for students to diversify their studies with a variety of elective courses, minors, and skills they will use throughout their professional lives. Not matter where your aspirations lie, you'll connect with a community of mentors and colleagues who are committed to preparing you for a successful and enjoyable career.

Numerous Opportunities to Perform

Dana School of Music has a wide range of performance opportunities—for majors from all colleges. Most music majors will perform in ensembles each semester, and our ensembles have a long history of musical excellence and provide real-world preparation. The breadth of our ensemble offerings will enable all students to experience a wide range of musical genres and styles, including those in other academic programs. There are a multitude of ways for you to express yourself musically at YSU.

Our Alumni Excel

Our highly accomplished Dana alumni may be found in fulfilling and broadly diverse careers across the globe and are Grammy® Award winners, Billboard chart-topping songwriters and producers, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra members, award-winning composers, arrangers, and producers, and featured international soloists. They also hold positions in orchestras, military ensembles, and jazz groups, as well as academic faculty positions around the world. Dana School of Music graduates may be found in every segment of America’s musical life. Our graduate and undergraduate degrees will further your success and prepare you to thrive within the ever-evolving field of the musical arts.

Begin Your Journey

To learn more about our degree programs and scholarships or to schedule a campus visit, contact Cliffe College Program Coordinator of Admissions and Recruitment at sawaltman@ysu.edu or 330.941.2346. We would love to hear about your interests, introduce you to our outstanding faculty and students, show you our exceptional facilities, and become an important part of your future.

Undergraduate Programs

• Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Audio and Music Production

  The Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Audio and Music Production major provides students with the knowledge and experience to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving industry. Our students learn by doing and are prepared to build enjoyable, productive careers as audio engineers in record production through engineering, producing, mixing, and mastering; in live sound as engineers or technicians; in media (e.g., TV, film, gaming) roles in composition, sound design, or Foley sound; as well as forensic audio, restoration, and more. Students gain professional experience through internships and working with faculty, students, and professionals to record, produce, and distribute music for our student-run record label, Dana Records. 

• Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Education

  The Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Education provides exceptional instruction that prepares students for licensure as music teachers and educators in all learning environments. Music Education students are musicians who want to teach, and the comprehensive curriculum includes significant applied studio instruction and multiple opportunities to perform and conduct with diverse ensembles, as well as courses in composition and songwriting, popular and contemporary music, and musical theater. Music Education students are encouraged to pursue the Audio and Music Production Pedagogy Certificate concurrently. Our Music Education graduates who seek a teaching position enjoy a 100% placement rate. Students may elect to pursue one of three concentrations:  

  • The B.M. in Music Education, Choral Program provides hands-on experience that allows students to specialize in idioms that focus on choral and vocal music, including concert choirs, Musical Theatre, Jazz and Pop, contemporary ensembles, and various commercial and chamber ensembles. 
     
  • The B.M. in Music Education, Instrumental Program provides hands-on experience at all levels that allows students to specialize in idioms that focus on instrumental music, including concert band, orchestra, marching band, and various jazz, commercial, and chamber ensembles. 
     
  • The B.M. in Music Education, Instrumental Jazz Program curriculum emphasizes collaborative interaction, individual creativity, musical proficiency, and pedagogy as well as historical and cultural perspectives through a unique jazz curriculum which is integrated into the Music Education degree. 
• Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Performance

  The Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Performance provides exceptonal individualized applied studio instruction and offers comprehensive study in areas necessary to prepare for careers as performers, educators, arrangers, producers, and more. The curriculum includes multiple diverse ensemble offerings, and students may diversify their studies with elective classes and professional skills, such as audio and music production, composition and songwriting, and career development in music. The curriculum goes beyond traditional artistic training —incorporating a strong emphasis on innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset — and includes certificates or minors such as Audio + Music Production, Non-Profit Leadership, and Digital Marketing Strategy within the degree program. The dynamic and innovative B.M. in Music Performance at Youngstown State prepares students for careers in a myriad of fields and is dedicated to the success of our graduates in a competitive and divers professional landscape. 

  • The B.M. in Music Performance, Instrumental Program have extensive opportunities to develop skills as soloists and ensemble members. 
     
  • The B.M. in Music Performance, Jazz Program emphasizes collaborative interaction, individual creativity, musical proficiency, and pedagogy as well as historical and cultural perspectives through a unique and comprehensive curriculum. 
     
  • The B.M. in Music Performance, Piano Program offers a broad range of performance opportunities that include diverse repertoire and provide professional training as soloists and collaborators.  
     
  • The B.M. in Music Performance, Voice Program allows students to build a large repertory of performance literature and build skills applicable to a variety of professional opportunities in multiple contexts. 

Minors + Certificates

• Music Minors + Certificates

  Adding a minor or certificate to your academic program is an excellent way to customize your degree plans and specialize in areas in which you're interested. The Dana School of Music offers several minors and certificates from which you can choose, and our flexible curricula make it possible for you to study what you love, including studio lessons and performing in ensembles. 

  You might pursue a minor or certificate to explore a subject about which you're passionate or dive deeper into an area that will complement your major. Either way, a minor or certificate will help you build skills and prepare to achieve your life and career goals.

  Minor in Interdisciplinary Game Studies 

  • The Minor in Interdisciplinary Game Studies is a collaboration between the Department of Art, the Dana School of Music, and CSIS. Students who pursue this minor will take courses across all departments, learning a combination of different creative and technical skills. Our minor also expands students' understanding of how game studies and design can intersect with other fields and allows them to develop additional skills that complement the marketable competencies and knowledge they acquire in their majors.

  Minor in Music

  • The Minor in Music is designed for students who are interested in supplementing their prior experiences in music or wish to gain a broad introduction to the study of music. The program provides opportunities to explore diverse areas in music—traditional through contemporary—with multiple course options from which to choose, including private music lessons and participation in ensembles. Students electing applied study and/or ensembles should contact Shannon Holdridge at smholdridge@ysu.edu for information.

  Certificate in Audio + Music Production

  • Our Certificate in Audio and Music Production equips music students with the skills necessary to professionally record and produce music in commercial styles, including hip hop, rock, pop, ambient, country, EDM, experimental electronic, film, and video game music. Students who earn this certificate are expanding their career pathways significantly and gaining knowledge about an expansive and innovative area that influences multiple fields within music and beyond.  

  Certificate in audio + Music Production pedagogy 

  • This certificate prepares music education students with the concepts and skills needed to provide a quality audio and music curriculum to diverse populations, including those who are interested in creating music through technology or professionally recording music within a wide variety of musical genres. Students who earn this certificate are expanding their career pathways significantly and gaining knowledge about an expansive and innovative area that influences multiple fields within music and beyond.

Graduate Programs

• Master of Music (M.M.)

  The Master of Music (M.M.) degree offers exceptional advanced training for performers, teachers, composers, and scholars. The M.M. provides individualized instruction that focuses on the professional development and unique career goals of each student. Working closely with a world-class faculty, students develop advanced competencies in their majors—which includes a 100% online M.M. in Music Education and a M.M. in Performance. The dedicated faculty in the Dana School of Music are actively engaged in helping students successfully transition into a wide range of careers nationally and across the globe.

  • Our 100% online M.M. in Music Education was designed for busy music educators like you! The program provides maximum flexibility for completion that allows you to continue teaching while furthering your knowledge of current strategies that can be integrated into your classroom to enhance student engagement. Complete the degree within one year or as your schedule allows you to enroll in courses.
  • DSM graduate music performance students have already proven themselves as accomplished artists. Our Master of Music in Music Performance program was designed to support and further the goals of students who aspire to careers as performers—like you. Our expert faculty will guide you to discover new perspectives and help you continue honing your skills in one of the following areas: brass, percussion, piano, strings, voice, or woodwinds. Our comprehensive curricula and performance opportunities will develop your artistic excellence, inspire innovation, and give you a competitive edge for the next stage of your professional career!